Process for purification of metals.



W. H. KELLY.\ PROCESS FOR PURIFIGATION OPMBTALS. APPLICATION PILED FEB. 8, 1909.

1,041,801 v ,Y Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

lParam orme WILLIAM H. KELLY, 0F LO ANGELES, GLIFOBN.

Y rRooEss Fon PU'BIFICATIDN oF METALS.

`Specification of Letters Patent.

Application nien February s, 1909. serial No. 476,864.

,Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

To all whomat may concern: Y

. Be 'it known that I, WILLIAM KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing lat Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Process for Purification of Metals, of which the following is a specification.

Thisv invention of by relates to the purification metals and particularly to means whereiron or other metals may/"be purlfied in the process of melting and 'casting the same.

The main object of the present invention is to provide for the elimination of impurities from iron or other metals land the improvement of the quality thereof.

In my application Serial No. 448,971, filed August17, 1908, I have disclosed a process for reducing ores and metals by the use of "superheated steam. The present invention is distinguished from that disclosed in said application in that an' air blast is used in conjunction with the superheated and partly dissociated steam, the air blastand the superheated steam each supple-l menting the action of the other. The accompanying drawings illustrate an apparatus suitable for carrying out the invention in connection with a cupola for melting iron.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the cupola showing in elevation the apparatus for applying the invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line :v2-m2 in Fig. 1 through the super-heater. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the super-heater on line 'w3-fc3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isa horizontal section on the'line ooh-m4 in Fig. 2 through the super-heater. of one element of the super-heater.

1 designates a cupola which may be of any usual construction, being provided with a vstack or gas outlet 2, charging opening 3 and tap-hole 4. Into the lower portion of the cupola open a plurality of air inlets 5 which communicate with a space around the cupola formed by a jacket 6 which surrounds the cupola, said space being supplied with air under pressure forced through apipe 7 vby a blower 8 so that a forced draft of air passes into the lowerpart of the cupola chamber 9 through the air inlets 5. Means are p rovided for supplying super-heated steam at these air inlets, nsaid means consisting of a boiler or steam generator 10 and a superheater 12 connected by a pipe 13 with said Fig. 5 is a horizontal'seotion boiler and by a pipe 14 with a manifold 15 nozzles or pipes 16 extendin provided with into respective air inlets 5 to'deliver to eac airinlet a blast o r jet of super-heated steam. The super-heater comprises one or more colls or heating members 12 inclosed in a suitable heating chamber or furnace 17, the construction of said coil being preferably as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Each heating member 'or' element 12 consists of a pipe 18 of iron or other suitable material, bentbackward and forward to form a coil, which is embeddedin cast iron l9-cast thereonto to form a block or slab through which extends a tortuous passage formed by the pipe. rIhe above-described superheater is adapted to heat the steamto a suliciently high temperature to cause more or less dissociation of the steam into oxygen and hydro en.

The process is carried out as ollows in the above-described apparatus: A metal, lfor example, scrap iron or pig iron, or ores with coke, etc., is charged into the cupola4 chamber 9, and the blower 8 and the steam generator 10 and superheater 12, 17 are set in operation, it being understood that the stack or chamber of the cupola is first brought to a proper temperature by starting a tire therein in .any well known manner. The air passing from 8 throughv conduit 7 is conducted by the casing or jacket 6 around the 'cupola so as to absorb heat therefrom and to passto. the air inlets 5 in a more or less heated condition. By reason of its' .pressure the air enters through these inlets as a blast' or forced draft producing in conjunction with the carbon of the charge a suiiiciently high temperature to melt the metal in the charge. At the same time the steam generated at 1Q passing through ,the superheater .is more or less dissociated into oxygen and hydrogen and the resultant gases are delivered through pipes 14, 15 and 16 to the several air inlets 5, so that dissociated oxygen and hydrogen are delivered to with andin contact with the air blast. I have found that with the above-described process cast iron of inferior quality is trans ormed into a condition resembling steel, being fine grained, .tough tible of being hardened. The oxygen and hydrogen in a dissociated condition combine Lwith and takev up the -impurities of the metal, for example, phosphorus and sulfur, and carry the same away withvthe blast.

and snscep- Y heater which is Wholly free from any valves or traps wherein or whereby a back or stoppage of steam might occur, thereby causing 'a condensation in the pipe which l would be thereafter carried into the fire chamber. The ypipe being unobstructed throughout its entire length through the` superheater to the delivery ends thereofV causes the superheated va ors to be discharged into the fire cha-m er at the` same pressure as that of the superheater, the pressure 1n the superheater being regulated by the valve 19 between the boiler and superheater. i

The apparatus herein shown and described for carrying out my invention' is applied to what is commonly known as a cupola furnace and is ordinarily used for the purpose of remelting metals for casting purposes, but I desire it to be understood that my process and the means for carrying the same into practice are applica-ble to any and all kinds of furnaces Whether for remelting metals or for roasting or reducing metals, and I do not confine myself to any pTeSSllIe particular style!l or construction of the furnace.

1. lVhat I claim is:

l. AThe process of purifying metals which consists in melting the metals and directing lon' the body of metal as it melts a current of air together with steam which has been heated to a suicient temperature to cause dissoclation of a part thereof.

2. The process of purifying metals which consists in melting the metals .in a chamber and directing into said chamber airV together With steam which has been superhea-ted to a sufficient temperature to cause dissociation of a part thereof.

3. The process of purifymg metals vi'hich consists in charging the metal into a chamber, melting the metal by the action of a lire.

in .conjunction with an air blast, and passblast nascent oxygen and hydrogen.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto'set ARTHUR P. KNIGHT, FRANK L. A. GRAHAM.

ing into the chamber together with the air v V my hand at Los Angeles, California,.this 

